Pages

Thursday, December 31, 2015

The "Grand Haven Pier Pervert," a man stalking local women in the Grand Haven area, filming them then placing the videos on internet porn sites, says he also likes to "window peep" as well as place hidden cameras in bathrooms, tanning beds, showers, and other public places.

This shocking revelation has Grand Havenders on edge-worried-wondering if hidden cameras may be placed throughout the area...

The profile for "DrDoom666" was deleted almost immediately after press reports this week brought the videos to light.

The profile was not named in the reports, but despite being deleted, a backup version was found in a WMP investigation of the issue...

While technically filming people in public is legal, window peeping and other "interests" described by the perpetrator on his profile are criminal activities and may spur an investigation from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, or the Grand Haven Department Of Public Safety.

The man filmed women primarily on the Grand Haven Pier, as well as at the beach. However, videos were posted from spots throughout Grand Haven, including what appeared to be private homes. Their were dozens of videos posted, with hundreds of thousands of hits in total.

As always, WMP believes the public has a right to know what is going on and subsequently, below are screenshots from the assailant.

Hilariously, he asks for privacy on his profile! Mind you, he secretly records women on the internet, but wants HIS privacy respected! Derp... He also says he is a single, middle-class, college educated Atheist who does not want kids...

The videos, which primarily depict women’s backsides, have been posted to multiple free pornographic sites. Some of the footage also shows the subjects’ faces and other intimate areas.

A man claiming to be the photographer posted several of the videos on one site and encouraged viewers to comment. He promised more videos were coming.

The videos were labeled “West Michigan;” many videos showed Grand Haven area landmarks.

24 Hour News 8 has decided not to publish the names of the websites involved so as not to further the photographer’s agenda.

While some people may believe the videos are in poor taste, they are not illegal, prosecutors, police, and attorneys have told 24 Hour News 8.

“On a beach setting, knowingly exposing the parts that you expose to the public, it would be difficult to say that you had an expectation of privacy and without that there can be no criminal liability,” said Randall Levine, managing partner at the Levine & Levine law firm in Kalamazoo. Levine has no connection to the case.

Grand Haven police have responded to complaints about people taking photos on the beach, but never about videos surfacing on the Internet, Public Safety Chief Jeff Hawke told 24 Hour News 8. He said he will have a detective look at the videos."

__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

A lot of people made an impact on Michigan politics in 2015, but one person showed leadership that will help Michiganders for decades: Paul Mitchell. That's why Mitchell is WMP's Politico Of The Year.

Growing up in the infamous, hard-nosed Southie projects of Boston with six siblings and parents who worked multiple jobs to keep food on the table, Mitchell is no stranger to working hard and getting things done.

Mitchell worked his way to Michigan State University, eventually graduating, working for Chrysler, then becoming a top leader at Ross Education. He would eventually become CEO at Ross.

Most political junkies first heard of Mitchell in fall of 2013 when he launched ads against Gary Peters through his "Pure PAC." Soon after, he announced he was running for Congress when Dave Camp said he was retiring.

That 2014 campaign didn't pan out. But in early 2015, when Lansing power brokers tried to screw over the people and pass the largest tax increase in over 50 years, Mitchell stepped up to the plate immediately, putting his money, time, and talent into opposing what was known as "Prop 1."

As others have alluded to, if the horrendous Prop 1 campaign were a horror movie, spoiler alert: Paul Mitchell is the "killer."

Mitchell, a retired businessman, led the campaign to defeat Prop 1 and was extremely successful. His group, "Say No To Higher Taxes And Special Interest Deals," was the primary source of resistance to millions spent by Lansing power brokers and establishment hacks trying to get rich off the taxpayer's dime.

Mitchell defined the narrative from the beginning, using the press and social media immensely effectively to promulgate his anti-Prop 1 messaging strategy.

Mitchell also showed his strategic acumen when he hired veteran political hands Scott Hagerstrom of AFP, former Ottawa GOP Executive Director Faith Steketee, and Randall Thompson, now Chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. All are pros and were critical to the success of Mitchell's team.

Mitchell and his team engaged grassroots leaders across the state, made a myriad of media appearances, spoke at dozens of events, held a rally at the Capitol, operated phone banks, led email campaigns, helped with letters to the editor, and even held debates against Prop 1 proponents, among other things.

At the Michigan Republican Convention in February, Mitchell even challenged Meekhof to a debate after Meekhof rudely interrupted him and accused him of lying about the controversial proposal. Meekhof refused....

Mitchell's leadership was crucial in beating the Lansing machine by a record 60 point margin, 80%-20%, the biggest defeat for a proposal in Michigan history.

Now Mitchell wants to take those conservative values to Washington D.C., announcing in a press release this summer he is running for Congress to replace a retiring Candice Miller in Michigan's 10th Congressional District.

In an interview with WMP before Prop 1, Mitchell said he learned a lot from his previous Congressional campaign, and Prop 1 proved Mitchell correct. ""Losing kind of sucks," Mitchell told WMP when asked what he learned because of his heated Congressional race against now Congressman John Moolenaar.

"I learned how difficult it is to overcome the power of the political establishment. We didn't 'feel their wrath,' but we definitely did not get the support... The campaign taught me some things about how to communicate issues better."

Stay tuned...

__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

After an independent committee investigating water issues in Flint placed blame at the Michigan Department Of Environmental Quality, MDEQ Director Dan Wyant and Spokesman Brad Wurfel are out, resigning after failing to address Flint water issues until it was too late-all despite a myriad of red flags raised by area residents, doctors, and scientists.

The decision to get Wyant and Wurfel out is critical to not only rebuilding trust in the Flint community, but also to Snyder's legacy.

If Snyder had allowed Wyant to stay without any repercussions, as people like Senate Majority Arlan Meekhof suggested, the Governor would be digging himself an even deeper hole on this issue. Instead, Snyder took action and held those responsible accountable for their actions. More heads may roll at MDEQ, sources say...

According to MLive:

"Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday accepted a resignation from Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant after a task force laid responsibility for the Flint water crisis at the feet of the department.
Wyant and the DEQ have come under fire in recent months for handling a Flint drinking water crisis that lead to corrosive water running through city pipes and resulted in children with elevated levels of lead. In October, Wyant acknowledged a mistake in oversight from his office, saying DEQ officials were confused about federal regulations on making the drinking water less corrosive.

The task force in its letter blamed the department for the crisis.

"We believe the primary responsibility for what happened in Flint rests with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)," read the letter to Snyder."

In a letter to the people of Flint, Snyder apologized, promising to do everything he can to assist the City.

"MDEQ Director Dan Wyant has offered his resignation, and I’ve determined that it’s appropriate to accept it," Snyder wrote. "I’m also making other personnel changes at MDEQ to address problems cited by the task force."

"But changes in leadership and staff are not enough," Snyder continued. "I understand there can be disagreements within the scientific community. That is why I have directed both the departments of Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services to invite every external scientist who has worked on this issue to be our partners in helping us improve Flint water. Let’s share research on water and blood lead level testing so we can arrive at accurate and mutually supported conclusions. Together, we should work to affirm that we’re using the very best testing protocols to ensure Flint residents have safe drinking water and that we’re taking steps to protect their health over the short and long term.

I want the Flint community to know how very sorry I am that this has happened. And I want all Michigan citizens to know that we will learn from this experience, because Flint is not the only city that has an aging infrastructure.
I know many Flint citizens are angry and want more than an apology. That’s why I’m taking the actions today to ensure a culture of openness and trust. We’ve already allocated $10 million to test the water, distribute water filters, and help in other ways. Last week, I called Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, and we’re going to meet soon to discuss other ways the state can offer assistance.

These are only initial steps - we fully expect to take more actions following the recommendations of our task force. When it comes to matters of health and quality of life, we’re committed to doing everything we can to protect the well-being of our citizens.”

Brad Wurfel

__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Here is the recall language filed against Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof last week. WMP obtained a copy from the Secretary of State's office, always a pleasant and professional group of people to deal with.

It is very specific and well written, it is clear, factual , and indisputable, really. Meekhof will challenge it but it's doubtful he will prevail...

Take a look:

__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

"Grand Traverse sheriff's authorities are saying Horger was just taken safely into custody after a search that began earlier Wednesday morning. Further information on the arrest was not immediately available."
____________________________________________________________________________

Multiple Michigan police agencies are working with the FBI to locate Joseph Horger, a Northern Michigan man who has threatened to blow up a mall and kill police officers in the process.

Horger is believed to be armed and dangerous. If you see him, call 911 immediately.

"Police and FBI investigators are on guard Wednesday — a busy holiday shopping day just before Christmas — as a Traverse City man has made comments that he wants to "blow up a mall."
Joseph Horger, 27, is wanted by police for an unrelated felony charge.

Police have received information Horger made comments about wanting to kill a police officer and having a bomb strapped to him.

The Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office and Traverse City Police are being assisted by the FBI and the Michigan State Police in a search for Horger on Wednesday, Dec. 23, according to a joint news statement from police.

Authorities said they are taking the investigation very seriously but have no credible information that there is an immediate threat to public safety. Staff at both the Grand Traverse Mall and Cherryland Center are working with police as normal shopping continues at both venues."

___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said "the time is always right to do what is right."

In Michigan, the right thing to do-at least in Gov. Snyder's case-is to veto the horrendous bill pushed by Arlan Meekhof and his allies last week.

The bill gives special interests the ability to buy elections without reporting donations until months after.

It takes away the public's right to know who is harassing them with robocalls shortly before an election.

It was passed in the middle of the night while Senators were trapped in the Capitol under threat of arrest.

The only reason it passed was because of Democrat Virgil Smith. Meekhof excuses his attempted murder of his ex-wife after she refused a 3 way with Smith and his girlfriend...

The bill was originally 11 pages: it ballooned to over 50 pages at the 11th hour without any chance for Michiganders to digest what was happening.

Snyder may not always get it right policy-wise, but aside from a controversial drunk driving pardon, the Governor's record is scandal free. Signing this would be contrary to Snyder's values and may hurt his legacy.

The time is always right to do what is right. Governor Snyder, please put Michigan families first and veto this horrendous bill.

Of note: No conservative website in Michigan has defended Governer Snyder more than West Michigan Politics. Period. Check out our archives in the fall of 2014 if you'd like...

WMP previously wrote:

State Senator Arlan Meekhof pulled no punches in order to pass a shady campaign finance bill Wednesday night, booting all Senate staff from the floor except his own and ordering Senators to stay on lockdown under penalty of arrest.

The bill also eliminates "straight ticket voting," that facet of the bill has gotten a lot of coverage. Other key parts have not.

One facet not being covered: Meekhof flip-flopped on the robocall law he authored and subsequently touted during the controversial 90th State House primary in 2014. Now, anyone can put out a robocall and Michiganders have been stripped of their right to know who's calling to influence them.

"In the state capital, the Legislature passed an anti-transparency amendment on Wednesday, essentially its last day of session for 2015, that would allow PACs and superPACs to wait until nearly six months after an election to report where their millions of dollars were spent.

A system that kept voters in the dark by allowing these special interest groups to report their campaign finances in the February after an election was extended to a springtime deadline, according to the bill language, long after the reports could shed meaningful light on the prior November vote.

For example, the February 2015 PAC and superPAC reports contained the first disclosure of more than $3 million of independent expenditures that supported or opposed candidates in Michigan's November 2014 state elections.

Rich Robinson, Michigan’s leading campaign watchdog, who has labeled Michigan the “dark money capital of the U.S.,” said the actions on Wednesday by the House and Senate were shameful.

"This legislation perversely delays the citizens' right to knowledge of who is spending millions of dollars to influence the outcome of Michigan election campaigns. Instead of delaying reporting, legislators should be acting to make records of massive independent expenditures available to the public before Election Day, so citizens can consider campaign messages with full knowledge of who is paying for them."

Reports say Meekhof used extreme measures to do his donor's bidding.

According to MLive:

"Republicans paved the way for the bill's passage using some rare Senate procedure. They cleared the floor of all staff except the Senate Majority Leader's, leaving Democratic senators without any staff members. Republicans also instituted a call of the Senate, meaning senators could not leave the chamber under threat of arrest..."

"That was just to focus everybody down on the task at hand," Meekhof said.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said the unusual procedure around the elections bills highlighted that they were moving Michigan backward.

"I think it's extremely egregious when they rig the rules today in order to rig the system," he said. "I think that's really telling and I think it's unfortunate... Why are you so willing to cave at the corporate demands? Why are you so determined to give dark money official footholds in our state?" he asked the Republican majority."

One aspect of the bill that is going almost completely uncovered: campaigns can now harass Michiganders with anonymous robocalls.

Interestingly enough, Meekhof himself wrote the original robocall law just two years ago, now he has flip-flopped...

State Rep. Andy Schor blasted the move: "Do you like robo-calls during election campaigns? Do you like knowing who is actually making those calls? Well…thos...e that make the calls will no longer have to disclaim who they are because the Republican House majority eliminated that requirement this evening.

Tonight at 10 pm, the Republican majority in the House put up a bill that should have been non-controversial. They then adopted a substitute (over objections by House Democrats) to the bill with major election law changes at the last minute and put it up for a final vote without giving Democrats the chance to even read or review the substitute. So the Democrats all voted no.

After the bill passed (with only Republican votes) and we were able to actually read through the 53 page substitute, we learned that the bill eliminated the requirement in law for those who make robo calls to disclaim who they are. The bill also made other election law changes that are terrible for the people of Michigan. So I am happy I voted no, I am very disappointed that the Republicans played games in order to pass this awful legislation for the people of Michigan."

Just last year, in the 90th District Primary after a fake robocall was used by agents of Daniela Garcia against Geoff Haveman , Meekhof touted the robocall law as a positive change!

"State Sen. Arlan Meekhof sponsored a change to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act that requires disclaimers on all robo-calls within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election," his chief of staff Bob DeVries told the Holland Sentinel.

Shady...Stay tuned!

___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

Scott Greenlee, a top aide to Attorney General Bill Schuette, is retiring from the AG's office to return to the private sector.

Greenlee announced the move via Facebook this morning:

"TGIM and Announcement! For three years I have been very fortunate to work in the Executive Division of the Michigan Attorney General's Office for a great friend and mentor, Bill Schuette - and I will always be a part of Team Schuette! That said, in 2016 I will depart the office and my official State of Michigan role to have a sole focus on my company, Greenlee Consulting Services with a couple of corporate clients, some international business opportunities, printing service...s, and I am sure a few other projects in the election year. It has been an absolute honor to work formally with Attorney General Schuette who I have known since 1989, as well as the team of excellent professionals in the Department - so many good people who have become great friends! Most importantly...I plan to still be the starting pitcher on the office's softball team and play in the golf outing ‪#‎AlwaysOnDuty‬‪#‎LookingForwardToBBQSeason"

___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

"Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has hired GOP political operative Scott Hagerstrom to direct his campaign in Michigan, Trump’s first effort to build a support network in the Great Lakes State with less than 80 days to go until the March 8 primary.

Trump’s campaign is expected to announce the hire Monday, ahead of the billionaire businessman’s trip to Grand Rapids for an evening rally at the DeltaPlex Arena, his second campaign to visit to Michigan this year.

Hagerstrom is a former state director of the conservative Americans for Prosperity, has worked on the winning campaign to defeat the Proposal 1 sales tax in May and spent 15 years as an aide in the Michigan House of Representatives.

As head of AFP, Hagerstrom directed a network of conservative activists who have, at times, flexed their political muscle in Republican primaries for state House and Senate seats.

“Scott will be a great asset to our team as we continue to build infrastructure beyond the early primary states and share my vision to make America great again,” Trump said in a statement sent Sunday to The Detroit News."

___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

State Senator Arlan Meekhof pulled no punches in order to pass a shady campaign finance bill Wednesday night, booting all Senate staff from the floor except his own and ordering Senators to stay on lockdown under penalty of arrest.

The bill also eliminates "straight ticket voting," that facet of the bill has gotten a lot of coverage. Other key parts have not.

One facet not being covered: Meekhof flip-flopped on the robocall law he authored and subsequently touted during the controversial 90th State House primary in 2014. Now, anyone can put out a robocall and Michiganders have been stripped of their right to know who's calling to influence them.

"In the state capital, the Legislature passed an anti-transparency amendment on Wednesday, essentially its last day of session for 2015, that would allow PACs and superPACs to wait until nearly six months after an election to report where their millions of dollars were spent.

A system that kept voters in the dark by allowing these special interest groups to report their campaign finances in the February after an election was extended to a springtime deadline, according to the bill language, long after the reports could shed meaningful light on the prior November vote.

For example, the February 2015 PAC and superPAC reports contained the first disclosure of more than $3 million of independent expenditures that supported or opposed candidates in Michigan's November 2014 state elections.

Rich Robinson, Michigan’s leading campaign watchdog, who has labeled Michigan the “dark money capital of the U.S.,” said the actions on Wednesday by the House and Senate were shameful.

"This legislation perversely delays the citizens' right to knowledge of who is spending millions of dollars to influence the outcome of Michigan election campaigns. Instead of delaying reporting, legislators should be acting to make records of massive independent expenditures available to the public before Election Day, so citizens can consider campaign messages with full knowledge of who is paying for them."

Reports say Meekhof used extreme measures to do his donor's bidding.

According to MLive:

"Republicans paved the way for the bill's passage using some rare Senate procedure. They cleared the floor of all staff except the Senate Majority Leader's, leaving Democratic senators without any staff members. Republicans also instituted a call of the Senate, meaning senators could not leave the chamber under threat of arrest..."

"That was just to focus everybody down on the task at hand," Meekhof said.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said the unusual procedure around the elections bills highlighted that they were moving Michigan backward.

"I think it's extremely egregious when they rig the rules today in order to rig the system," he said. "I think that's really telling and I think it's unfortunate... Why are you so willing to cave at the corporate demands? Why are you so determined to give dark money official footholds in our state?" he asked the Republican majority."

One aspect of the bill that is going almost completely uncovered: campaigns can now harass Michiganders with anonymous robocalls.

Interestingly enough, Meekhof himself wrote the original robocall law just two years ago, now he has flip-flopped...

"Do you like robo-calls during election campaigns? Do you like knowing who is actually making those calls? Well…thos...e that make the calls will no longer have to disclaim who they are because the Republican House majority eliminated that requirement this evening.

Tonight at 10 pm, the Republican majority in the House put up a bill that should have been non-controversial. They then adopted a substitute (over objections by House Democrats) to the bill with major election law changes at the last minute and put it up for a final vote without giving Democrats the chance to even read or review the substitute. So the Democrats all voted no.

After the bill passed (with only Republican votes) and we were able to actually read through the 53 page substitute, we learned that the bill eliminated the requirement in law for those who make robo calls to disclaim who they are. The bill also made other election law changes that are terrible for the people of Michigan. So I am happy I voted no, I am very disappointed that the Republicans played games in order to pass this awful legislation for the people of Michigan."

Just last year, in the 90th District Primary after a fake robocall was used by agents of Daniela Garcia against Geoff Haveman , Meekhof touted the robocall law as a positive change!

"State Sen. Arlan Meekhof sponsored a change to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act that requires disclaimers on all robo-calls within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election," his chief of staff Bob DeVries told the Holland Sentinel.

Shady...Stay tuned!___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

No one exemplifies the Lansing status quo more than Arlan Meekhof, so the recall is very fitting.

Despite campaign promises to constituents, from leading the effort to keep "dark money" hidden from Michigan voters in campaign finance reporting, helping bring ObamaCare to Michigan via backroom deals, leading the charge for Prop 1, the biggest tax increase in Michigan in over 50 years, to changing Senate rules to block constituent access to Senate information, Meekhof is a reliable vote when it comes to growing government, raising taxes, and keeping information about state government from the public and the media.

Perhaps Mr. Meekhof was mindful of public outrgae over his disgusting voting record when he rewrote Michigan's recall laws last year, making the process much more difficult.

It won't be easy to #RecallMeekhof, especially with all the big money he has lined up behind him.
They're looking after Arlan because he looks after them. But who is looking out for Ottawa County citizens and the people all across "Pure Michigan?" Who the hell is looking out for you? Meekhof is busy working for his special interest pals and is scared to defend his record. That's why he hasn't had a townhall or coffee hour in YEARS...

Recently, Rep. Eric Cantor, despite a fundraising advantage of nearly $5 million to his opponent's $200,000, was overwhelmingly defeated by political newcomer Dave Brat. Many factors contributed to Cantor's demise, but the most significant was his lack of any real connection with the district. Meekhof could suffer the same fate.

Majority Leader Meekhof has hundreds of thousands of dollars laundered through multiple PAC's. The Majority Leader would do well to start preparing his troops for battle, there's a war coming...And as the GOP Presidential frontrunner might say, it's gonna be HUGE.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

It looks like the leaders of the Michigan House may regret not settling a lawsuit brought in federal court recently by former Gamrat/Courser staffers Ben Graham and Keith Allard...

In an appearance on last week's "Off The Record," Sarah Howard, attorney for Graham and Allard, put Speaker Cotter on notice, saying she will not only call Cotter to the stand, she will also use the discovery process to uncover important, secret communications between Cotter and his Chief of Staff, Norm Saari, along with anyone else who may have been part of behind the scenes discussions.

The state will attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed, though that is unlikely to be granted. Speaker Cotter is expected to invoke legislative privilege if asked to testify, but the Speaker would have an immensely difficult time keeping Allard and Graham for procuring documents many believed would never see the public eye.

Howard noted on OTR, as she does in the lawsuit, that Cotter knew as early as February that drama was running rampant in the Gamrat/Courser office. Cotter apparently walked in on a meeting between Allard, Graham, and Sarai...

Howard made it clear that her clients adamantly opposed going to court if a settlement could be reached, but the Speaker's office had no interest in taking that route.

Now, as accusations of a twisted cover up grow louder, this controversy takes center stage heading into 2016 with huge potential implications for not only the Speaker and his team, but the Michigan Republican Party all across Pure Michigan.

Stay tuned...

___________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.